The land on which the homestead sits was sold in 1759 by Christopher VanBommel to Johannes Abraham Fort. The house was built either by the Van Bommel Family between 1742 and 1759, or by Johannes A. Fort about 1760. Johannes Fort’s son Major Abraham (1750-1822) was locally prominent in the Revolutionary War and also lived in the house. The land was a working farm and included orchards and gardens. The Fort Family is buried in the Fort Family Burial Ground located across Route 9.

Several others have owned the house since the Forts, including IBM. Find more information about the preservation of this structure here.

Map: Location on Bing Maps Bird’s Eye view